Screw driver with elementgripping jaws



. 3, 1950 D. o. WILLIAMS SCREW DRIVER WITH ELElENT-GRIPPING JAWS Filed Nov. 26, 1946 0 26 AT OiINEYS- Patented Oct. 3, 1950 SCREW DRIVER WITH ELEMENT- GRIPPIN'G JAWS Darwin D. Williams, Napa, Calil-Z, assignor of onehalf to Robert D. Powers, Napa, Calif.

Application November 26, 1946, Serial No. 712,346

,4. Claims.

An object of my invention is to provide a screw driver and holder which can be used in the usual way and has the additional advantage of rigidly holding the screw head or other object to the screw driver. The element held in engagement by the gripping jaws is not only forced against the wedge-shaped end of the screw driver shank, but is also held against lateral displacement. This permits screws or other fastening elements to be driven into the material in-an angular direction with respect to the exterior surface.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed in which the element gripping jaws have resilient extensions that are moved along the screw driver shank by manually depressing a push button that normally projects a slight distance beyond the rear end of the screw driver handle. The arrangement of the parts is such that when the screw driver is used in the usual manner for tightening a screw in place, hand pressure on the rear end of the handle to maintain the screw driver in the screw kerf will move the push button flush with the handleend. The resilient jaw extensions will flex laterally to permit this push button movement without causing the jaws to push the screw head or other object offfrom the wedge-shaped or driving bit end of the screwdriver shank.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a, device ofthe'type-described wherein the element gripping jaws' are cam-shaped so that they will havea tendency to spread apart when they are moved toward and beyond the driving Figure is a vertical section taken along the line V-V of Figure 1, portions being shown in elevation. c j

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a screw 1 driver shank indicated generally at A and this shank may be square in cross section as shown in Figure 3, or it may be cylindrical. A-handle B has a square bore l for receiving the shank A and the handleisrigidly securedvto the shank so as to prevent any relative movement therebetween. Figure 2 shows the handle as being provided with a central bore 2 that is cylindrical in cross section and extending from the bore I to the rear end of the handle. The-bore 2 islarger in diameter than the bore I and has a conicalshaped entrance 3 for a purpose hereinafter described.

Reference to Figures 2 and 3 shows the handle B further provided with two longitudinally extending grooves 4 and 5 that communicate with bit end of. the screw driver. I provide a closure for the jaw cam portions that will cause the jaws to move toward each other when-theyare retracted. .By this arrangement the object which is held in contact with the driving bit is prevented from lateral movement. i

7 Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 7

Myinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the screw driver showing .the jaws retracted;

Figure 2 is a view-similar to Figure l, but shows the handle in vertical cross section and the jaws extended into gripping relation with a screw head; c Figure 3 is a transverse section taken along the line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the two jaws; and.

thebore l.v It is not necessary that the-grooves 4 and 5 communicate with the bore I, because the groovesmay themselves be in the shape of small diameter bores.

The grooves 4 and 5 receive the resilient arms or extensions 6 and 1 of jaws indicated generallyat C and D, respectively. In Figure 5 the handle B is shown in longitudinal section with the shank A illustrated in elevation and also the arm 1 of the jaw D shown in elevation. The groove 5 is omitted in this view. Both jaws C and D .are clearly shown in Figure 4 in perspective. The jaw extensions 6 and 1 have inwardly-turned upper ends 8 and 9 and Figure 2 illustrates how these ends are received in recesses In and-H provided in a reduced portion I2 of a spring -pressed button E.

1 The button E is slidably received in the handle bore 2 and the reduced portion receives the convolutions of the outer end of 3. 0011 spring F. The outer end of the spring bears against a shoulder [3 provided on the button where the reduced portion merges into the head of the button. The reduced .portion I? also has longitudinal grooves l4 and I5 communicating with the recesses and these grooves receive the upper portions of the jaw arms 6 and 1. This arrangement is clearly shown'in Figure 5. I do not wish to be confined to any particular manner of securing the jaw arms to the spring=pressed push button, because the tops of the arms could be T-shaped rather than inwardly bent and received in T-shaped grooves provided in the reduced button portion l2. The coil spring F holds the jaw arms or extensions 6 and 1 in their recesses and grooves. The inner end of the coil spring F bears against a shoulder I6 provided between the bore l and the bore 2.

It will also be seen from Figure 4 that the jaw extensions 6 and 'I are narrow for a good portion of their lengths so as to be flexible and then widen out as at 6a and 1a. The jaws themselves have cam portions I! and I8 and inwardly extending ends l9 and 20. The ends l9 and 20 have arcuate recesses 19a and 20a, as clearly shown 'in Figure 4.

I provide a closure or guide G for the cam ends [1 and [8 of the jaws. The closure is preferably cylindrical in shape and can be formed from a coil spring or a casing. The inner diameter of the spring is small enough to grip the wedgeshaped end or driving bit 2| of the screw driver shank at a point just above the widest portion 21a, The coil spring is enlarged slightly by contacting the widest portion 2m and sufiicient friction is developed to hold the coil or closure G against longitudinal movement on the shank A. The closure G terminates above the end 22 of the driving bit 2| as illustrated in Figure 1.

The closure G and the spring-pressed push button E cooperate to cause the preformed jaws C-and D to frictionally engage with opposite faces 23 and 24 of the driving bit end Zlata point above the edge 22. The cam portions I? and 18 will contact with the inner surface of the closure G and will ause the ends! 9 and 20 of the;

moving the push button E beyond the extended position-shown in Figure 1. It will be seen from the-same figure that the spring arms 6 and l of the jaws curve outwardly to a slight extent between the top of the closure G and thebottom of the handle 13. From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood.

The screw driver shown in'Figure 1 can be used in the usual way with the edge 22 of the shank A received in" a ker-f 25 of a screw H or other fastening element. If the screw is being driven into place in the material J and the palm of the operators' hand is depressing the button EZ'the jawends l9 and '20 will move down into contact with the screw head'26. A further downward movement of the pushbutton'to bring-it flush with the end of-the handle will cause the arms 6 and l" to -flex outwardly rather than force the end 220i the shank A out of the kerf 25. This is a distinct and novel feature of applicants invention because it permits the device to be used as an ordina'ryscrew driver.

If the screw H is being removed from'the' material J, the device can be used in the manner shown in the Figure 1 until the screw head 26 is backed away from the surface 21- of the material; At this time the push button E may be moved by the operators finger into the broken line position shown in Figure 2 and this will cause the jaws C and D to spread and to move below the edge 22. The conical portion 3 guides the finger into the bore. The jaws may now be placed on opposite sides of the screw shank 28 and then the button freed for permitting the spring F to retract the jaws. The cam portions I1 and i8 will coact with the closure G during this. return movement to bring the jaws together into gripping relation with the screw shank 28 and against the under side of the screw head. The screw H is now gripped tightly by the jaws and when the screw driver has been rotated for freeing the screw from the material, the screw head will be held clamped to the shank A and cannot drop off from the screw driver.

When driving a screw into the material, the screw maybe secured to the driving bit in the manner already explained and then the end of the handle B can be used for initially forcing the screw into the material. The push button E is depressed below the end of the handle due to the pressure of the hand against the handle end and therefore any pressure of the hand against the handle end will not free the screw from the screw driver, because the push button cannot be moved inwardly beyond its flush position. A hammer or other tool can be used for striking the handle end for driving the screw into the material.

'-After the screw has been forced into the ma-- teriala sufiicient distance, the push button E can be depressed further by using the finger for freeing "the jaws from the screw, and then the push button can be permitted to return tonorrdal position and will cause the jaws to retract and-contact the faces 23 and 24. driver can now be used in the usual way for 'securing thescrew tightly in place.

When placing a screw in an opening that is in-' cli'ned with respect to the face of the material, the-lateral gripping forceexerted by the jaws on the screw, dueto the cam portions 11 and!!! contacting the closure G, will cause the jaws to provided, can be gripped by-the jaws and insertedin places that are inaccessible with the normal' screw driver. The jaws can also be usedfforre trieving small objects from'places'wherethe op erator cannototherwise reach. V

'Ihe special camportions l1 and i8- cooperate with the closure -Gfor bringing'theljaws toward each-other-latthe proper angle during the retra'c tion of the jaws, so that the inwardlyextending; portions '19 and 2!! will bear against'the' faces 23: and Z I-of the shank A. The frictiond'e'veloped :bythe-jaws-bearing against the'shank is 'sufii-' cient to limit the outward movement of the plunger E, so that it will be brought to astop when it reaches the extended position shown in Figure l. The-arrangem'e'nt of parts also permits the'ready assembly of the jaws in place without the necessity of any screws or other fastening means being used. The closure G can be slipped: into position or removed as desired. The device is simple in construction and is eflicient for the purpose intended.

I claim: I

1. A screw driver with element-grippingj'a'ws comprising ashank having a wedge-shaped end, a tub ular handlemounted on the shank, a pair of-jaws positioned on opposite sides of the wedge-' shaped end, a guide encircling the shankand retained against longitudinal movement relative to the latter, the guide normally holding the jaws in contact with opposite sides of the wedge The screw 7 shaped end above a kerf-receiving edge of the wedge-shaped end so that this edge can enter a screw kerf or the like, the jaws having resilient arms that are slidably received by the handle, a push button normally projecting beyond the rear of the handle and movable into a position at least flush with the latter and connected to the arms for moving the jaws beyond the wedgeshaped end when the button is depressed, the resilient arms having an unobstructed central portion whereby the arms will become bowed apart laterally when the wedge-shaped end is received in a screw head kerf and the push button is depressed so as to lie flush with the handle end, whereby the wedge-shaped end will remain in the kerf.

2. In a screw driver with element-gripping jaws, a shank having a wedge-shaped end, a handle secured to the shank, a pair of gripping jaws disposed on opposite sides of the shank and having elongated arms slidably received in the handle, said arms having a portion thereof laterally unobstructed to permit bowing and a spring-pressed button connected to the arms and normally projecting beyond the rear end of the handle, said handle having a bore for slidably receiving the push button, the push buttonbeing depressible into the bore to a position in which the button is disposed entirely within the handle, whereby the operators hand can bear against the rear end of the handle without obstruction by the push button and the end of the screw driver will remain in engagement with the screw due to bowing of said arms.

3. In a screw driver with element-gripping jaws, a shank having a wedge-shaped end, a handle secured to the shank and having a bore extending inwardly from its rear end, a pair of gripping jaws disposed on opposite sides of the shank and having elongatedamns slidably received in the handle, a push button normally projecting beyond the rear end of the handle and slidably received in the bore and having a reduced portion with recesses therein for receiving abutments on the arms, and a coil spring concealed in the bore and encircling the reduced button portion for securing the jaw arms to the button, the spring serving the additional function of yieldingly urging the button in a direction for retracting the jaws, the push button being depressible into the bore to a position in which the button is disposed entirely within the handle, whereby the operators hand can bear against the rear end of the handle without obstruction by the push button.

4. In a screw driver with element-gripping jaws, a shank having a wedge-shaped driving bit, the edges of the bit flaring outwardly from its lower end to define a wider portion thereabove and then tapering inwardly above the wider portion to the shank, a pair of resilient laws placed on opposite sides of the bit and having inwardly-extending gripping members normally contacting opposite faces of the wedgeshaped bit, each jaw also having a cam portion DARWIN D. WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Number Kolb Aug. 11, 1885 Fegley Aug, 27, 1907 Priest Aug, 11, 1942' Ricketts Oct. 21, 1884 Ingram Oct. 1, 1912 Bangel Feb. 26, 1935 

